Stillwater Lift Bridge (Stillwater, MN)

The Stillwater Lift Bridge is something that has been around for as long as I can remember. As a young child my family lived in Lake Elmo, MN and on most weekends we traveled over this bridge in Stillwater, MN to get to Wisconsin where my grandparents had a farm in St. Croix Falls. I remember riding over the bridge in the spring when the St. Croix River rose so high it was nearly up to the bridge – there were even times it was shut down due to rising water! I also remember riding over the bridge and seeing the numerous boats enjoying the warm summer days, the colorful leaves on both sides of the river during autumn, and in the winter seeing the ice on the river.

The only downside was this bridge was the main route from the Twin Cities to Wisconsin (other than the Hudson Bridge). This meant that on the weekends traffic would be backed up along main street in Stillwater, past the Oasis Café (that’s also been there as long as I can remember!), and nearly back to State Highway 36! Whew – that’s a long wait for a kid! Haha! Eventually we would make it along the St. Croix River, through the hustle and bustle of Stillwater, and over the bridge to Wisconsin.

This bridge brings so many wonderful memories to mind – traveling during the holidays, weekends, and for family gatherings! However, as time passed the bridge became too old for vehicular traffic. So, what happened to the Stillwater Lift Bridge? Come along as I share with you a little history about this beautiful bridge and how it’s currently being used.

The Stillwater Lift Bridge was constructed in 1931. While the bridge was practical for carrying vehicles, pedestrians, and other traffic between western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota, many residents and visitors considered it to be an icon of Stillwater. The bridge has inspired artists to sketch, paint, take photographs, and write poetry; and images of the bridge have appeared on mugs, bumper stickers, baseball caps, police cars, and letterheads.

The 10-span bridge includes six steel Parker through truss spans, one movable span of the type commonly known as a “Waddell and Harrington vertical lift,” and three concrete slab approach spans. The bridge was originally developed by renowned movable bridge engineer J.A.L. Waddell in 1892 and he subsequently partnered with engineer, John Lyle Harrington. The lift span is raised and lowered by steel cables passing over sheaths at the top of steel towers mounted on the span’s piers. To ensure easy movement, the span is counterweighted by concrete blocks that travel up and down within the tower framework. The bridge has a functional and symbolic connection with downtown Stillwater, which is represented in the bridge concourse, located at the west approach. This feature includes Classical Revival details, including the open balustrade, light standards, and other concrete elements.

The Stillwater Lift Bridge is a rare surviving example of vertical-lift highway bridge construction of the Waddell and Harrington type. Only six vertical-lift highway bridges were built in Minnesota and Wisconsin prior to World War II. At least five were designed by Waddell and Harrington or successor firms; all were of the standard Waddell and Harrington type. In addition, the bridge and concourse are located within the Stillwater Cultural Landscape District.

Over the years there has been a notable amount of maintenance on the Stillwater Lift Bridge, and it came to the point where all the repairs would only be temporary. After much discussion it was decided that a new bridge, named the St. Croix Crossing Bridge, would be constructed along State Highway 36 that would also help with the bottleneck traffic through Stillwater. After decades of planning and years of construction, the St. Croix Crossing Bridge was finished and opened on August 2, 2017. This was the largest bridge project in Minnesota’s history! The project consumed some 281,900 tons of concrete – the pier foundations alone required around 2,000 truckloads of concrete. Extended between the piers and the deck were more than five miles of stay cables which contained about 400 miles of cable strands, and around 1,969 miles of cable strands are not visible. This was definitely a major project, and the bridge is amazing! You can even walk over the bridge on the St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail, a 4.7-mile trail that is open to pedestrians and bicycles and crosses both the new St. Croix Crossing Bridge and the Stillwater Lift Bridge. When driving or walking over the bridge you can see forever!

When the St. Croix Crossing Bridge opened on August 2, 2017, the Stillwater Lift Bridge closed on the same day. The city put on a party for the historic bridge in Lowell Park that night with a car show, “Crusin’ on the Croix.” The car show included vintage cars from every decade of the bridge’s history. It was then time for rehabilitation of the Stillwater Lift Bridge, and it was converted into a bicycle and pedestrian bridge, which was completed in 2020 – and the bridge still lifts for all the boats that go under! I visit Stillwater whenever I can, and I have taken many walks over this historic bridge. It is so beautiful and lovely to stroll across. While the St. Croix Crossing Bridge is absolutely amazing and perfect for vehicle traffic, there is nothing like the Stillwater Lift Bridge with its memories, beauty, and charm!

Maybe you will be heading to Stillwater to do some holiday shopping soon. I would encourage you to grab a warm drink at one of the coffee shops on main street and meander over the bridge to take a look and a stroll. It’s especially lovely at night! Enjoy!

Additional Resource Used for the Stillwater Lift Bridge and the St. Croix Crossing Bridge: Illustrative book, The Saga of the Stillwater Lift Bridge: A Preservation Case Study (PDF)